Driver fatigue has been the cause of many school bus accidents over the years.  There are instances of school bus drivers falling asleep behind the wheel resulting in students being injured and in the most unfortunate of circumstances being killed.

As difficult and frustrating as city driving can be in an automobile, the problems are multiplied when driving a school bus. Buses can be up to 45 feet long, which makes maneuvering them around city corners a real challenge. Plus, with a full load of passengers on board, it’s easy for school bus drivers to become stressed out, which can diminish their effectiveness in an emergency.

The challenges your drivers face are going to be largely particular to your city. However, with proper training, there are certain strategies which will help mitigate the chances of problems while on city streets.

On November 21, 2016, a true tragedy occurred in Tennessee. A 24-year-old school bus driver with a history of speeding was involved in a school bus crash that killed six students and injured over a dozen more. In response, the state of Tennessee enacted House Bill 322 regulating school transportation systems and school bus drivers, which are now among the most strict in the nation.

Many applaud the new laws; others fear they go too far. Let’s take a look.

 Vehicle technology is advancing at an incredible pace these days, probably the fastest since the early days of automobiles. The convergence of tech fields such as cloud computing, vehicle tracking, high-resolution optics, and artificial intelligence is causing a renaissance in vehicle safety features!

It’s already common for new features and safety initiatives from the trucking industry to become part of school bus driver safety as well. However, it does tend to take some time, since tech has to be very proven – and more affordable – before school districts will invest. It’s not hard to look into the future and see what may be available 5-10 years down the line.